Sturgeon's Law Tumblelog

Pirate Bay judge 'biased': experts - The Local

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 03:02:10 -0500

Pirate Bay judge 'biased': experts - The Local:

The judge who sentenced four men to jail for their involvement with The Pirate Bay is also a member of the same copyright protection organisations as a number of the main entertainment industry representatives in the case, Sveriges Radio’s P3 news programme reports.

Henson’s 11 (via katreilly87)

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:52:50 -0500

Henson’s 11 (via katreilly87)

Swedish ISPs Ignore Request to Block The Pirate Bay

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:43:18 -0500

Swedish ISPs Ignore Request to Block The Pirate Bay:

The recent conviction of the founders of Swedish BitTorrent tracker siteThe Pirate Bay has apparently emboldened the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), who was part of the entertainment industry team suing the site for copyright infringement-related damages, to demand ISPs in that country begin blocking access to the site by customers.

But, according to reports, the ISPs have refused to comply with the request, saying that the ruling applies to those charged and convicted, not to them.

NCsoft Offers Award-Winning Product Lineup on Steam

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:37:00 -0500

NCsoft Offers Award-Winning Product Lineup on Steam:

Beginning today, players may purchase the latest offerings for the City of Heroes®, Guild Wars®, and Lineage® franchises via Steam. This includes the just released City of Heroes Architect Edition, making City of Heroes the first and only MMO that gives players the power to create their own unique story arcs and missions. NCsoft will also deliver its highly anticipated MMO, Aion™, on the Steam platform when it launches this fall in North America and Europe. Once a player purchases their favorite NCsoft games through Steam, they can then sign in from any PC to play.

My Quiet Life » reckless endangerment?

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:23:48 -0500

My Quiet Life » reckless endangerment?:

So, yesterday, a man robbed the Verizon store on White Bridge road (and today, appears to have committed suicide). From yesterday’s story on the robbery:

Authorities said the man held up five store employees and two customers inside, and when he came out into the parking lot, he held up a third customer.

He didn’t realize that customer also had a gun. Police said the customer pulled a handgun and fired several shots at the robber.

A News 2 crew on the scene said four shots were fired in the parking lot as the suspect was fleeing.

No one was struck.

The customer missed his attacker but possibly hit the getaway car, 2005 or 2006 silver Ford Escape SUV.

Investigators said the victim did have a handgun carry permit and according to police, was within his rights to pull his gun in self defense.

Can anyone familiar with the law explain this to me? Is it state-specific? How is discharging a weapon in city limits at a person that is fleeing (i.e. not constituting a threat to the shooter, or anyone else) not reckless endangerment or something? I was under the impression that in most scenarios, shooting at someone that presents no immediate threat was illegal. That issue aside, his choice strikes me as wantonly irresponsible — that area is extraordinarily crowded. He could have hit any number of innocent bystanders.

WKRN’s article seems to be framing this debate in the context of carry permits and where it’s legal to have a firearm:

Where it’s appropriate to have a gun has been a hot topic for lawmakers in recent weeks.

The legislature recently approved a bill that will allow handguns in restaurants that serve alcohol, as long as the person has a carry permit.

Mitch Shelton does not support the legislation.

“You’re at a family restaurant… No guns should be allowed in a place like that, no way, shape or form,” he told News 2.

When it comes to self-defense, Giles said it’s a different issue.

“That’s a horse of a different color. When it’s defense, that’s a different story,” he said. “You pick and choose where you go. Hopefully it’s a safe place.”

This seems to me to be missing the point entirely. This has nothing to do with whether or not he should have had a gun. It has everything to do with whether or not he should have discharged it — and it shocks me that his actions are being considered “within his rights”. What am I missing?

Could Pirate Bay Verdict Affect EU Elections?

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:16:04 -0500

Could Pirate Bay Verdict Affect EU Elections?:

Experts say low European Parliament election turnout (27%), coupled with rising anger over the BitTorrent tracker site’s loss in court, could mean the Pirate Party might achieve the 4% threshold necessary to get a Swedish seat in the assembly.

[I love the smell of wishful thinking in the morning…]

Mininova Surpasses 8 Billion Downloads as Court Date Looms

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:14:19 -0500

Mininova Surpasses 8 Billion Downloads as Court Date Looms:

Although the majority of headlines recently have revolved around the legal troubles of fellow torrent site The Pirate Bay, Mininova has not been spared from its own legal troubles. Anti-piracy organization BREIN will be taking Mininova to court this May.

Study finds blood cells can be reprogrammed to act as embryonic stem cells

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:05:14 -0500

Study finds blood cells can be reprogrammed to act as embryonic stem cells:

In a recent study, U.S. researchers have reprogrammed cells found in circulating blood into cells that are molecularly and functionally indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells, a revolutionary achievement that provides a readily accessible source of stem cells and an alternative to harvesting embryonic stem cells. The findings were prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

[If this pans out can we ALL MOVE ALONG NOW yay that would be sweet]

The Pirate Bay Speaks Out: “The Site Will Live On!”

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:10:41 -0500

The Pirate Bay Speaks Out: “The Site Will Live On!”:

Swedish BitTorrent tracker site tells users not to worry about them or the site, and to instead seed your torrents, buy a Pirate Bay t-shirt to show whom you support, and to vote, vote, vote.

Diabetes Update: Study: Good News About Diabetes and Heart Attack

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:51:05 -0500

Diabetes Update: Study: Good News About Diabetes and Heart Attack:

A study published in JAMA that is in the medical new today deserves the attention of anyone with diabetes who wonders what their chances are of having a heart attack and what factors correlate with that likeliness of heart attack.

But two other findings that came out of this study should give hope and reassurance to all people with diabetes who strive for good control. Because what the press is not reporting about this study is that it found far fewer heart attacks than expected in this population and that some truly significant risk factors emerged from it that are not the ones you usually hear about.

Cool Tools: Cool Tools Seeking Editor

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:26:43 -0500

Cool Tools: Cool Tools Seeking Editor:

Cool Tools is seeking an editor. Current editor, Steven Leckart, is upgrading to a more full-time role at Boing Boing Gadgets. I am still finishing my long overdue book. The daily-weekday duty of posting one cool tool review needs a reliable person with skills in editing and judgment of good stuff.

Sheldon™ Comic Strip: Daily Webcomic by Dave Kellett

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:18:31 -0500

Sheldon™ Comic Strip: Daily Webcomic by Dave Kellett

xkcd - A Webcomic - Can’t Sleep

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:35:34 -0500

xkcd - A Webcomic - Can’t Sleep

Thiamin and diabetic nephropathy | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 22:13:00 -0500

Thiamin and diabetic nephropathy | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D.:

The paper from the journal Diabetologia reports on a study done in Pakistan showing that high-dose thiamin (vitamin B1) may be a valuable therapeutic agent in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. This small study certainly isn’t the final word, but it does show how medical science should work.

Seth's Blog: The myth of big salaries (it's all marketing)

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:56:03 -0500

Seth's Blog: The myth of big salaries (it's all marketing):

And for years, boards have been claiming that they need to pay CEOs $50,000,000 salaries in order to recruit the very best for their companies.

Jamie Dimon at Chase said, “It’s possible someone’s going to walk in my office and say, Jamie, I have a family. I can’t afford to live that way.”

This, of course, is nonsense.

Lefsetz Letter » Blog Archive » Saving Pirate Boyle

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:14:46 -0500

Lefsetz Letter » Blog Archive » Saving Pirate Boyle :

No, the only solution is new services that people want. But this requires a change in headspace. The rights holders must realize that the old business they used to love is kaput. There won’t be diamond selling superstars, but a bunch of niches. Kill the Pirate Bay and suddenly U2 doesn’t sell 10 million copies of their new album, Eminem doesn’t dominate like he did a decade ago. You probably don’t even grow any new revenue. So until you realize that you’re living in a changed landscape, you can’t strategize for the future.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Court jails Pirate Bay founders

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:09:12 -0500

BBC NEWS | Technology | Court jails Pirate Bay founders:

A court in Sweden has jailed four men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the world’s most high-profile file-sharing website, in a landmark case.

Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a year in jail.

They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (£3m) in damages.

The Colour of Magic (mini-series) DVD news: Announcement for The Color of Magic | TVShowsOnDVD.com

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:34:23 -0500

The Colour of Magic (mini-series) DVD news: Announcement for The Color of Magic | TVShowsOnDVD.com

A New 'Doctor Who' Spinoff Series Could Air This Year | Sci Fi News

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:05:12 -0500

A New 'Doctor Who' Spinoff Series Could Air This Year | Sci Fi News:

The UK Sun is reporting that a new Doctor Who spinoff series is on the mind of series boss Russell T. Davies.

The new series will be dedicated to two specific characters. The first is UNIT technology expert Malcolm Tayor (Lee Evans), who first appeared in the recent Easter special, ‘Planet of the Dead.’ The second is Capt. Magambo (Noma Dumezweni) who also appeared in the same special.

Davies was so impressed with the performance of both characters that he now sees potential in them holding their own series as a leading double-act. He even went as far to say as the new series could make it to screens by the end of the year.

So what are the exact plans for the new series? “It’s too early to reveal these plans,” Davies adds.

Watch Shows and Movies on YouTube

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:58:25 -0500

Watch Shows and Movies on YouTube:

Today we’re excited to announce a new destination for television shows and an improved destination for movies on YouTube, where partners like Crackle, CBS, MGM, Lionsgate, Starz and many others have made thousands of television episodes and hundreds of movies available for you to watch, comment on, favorite and share.